The other Cryotweak/GR Research room showed off the much bigger tower speakers,
the Alpha LS. In use
in both Cryotweak/GR Research rooms was the Ack!DAC.

The GR Research Alpha LS speakers
($5890 a pair assembled).
93db with 1 watt/1 meter with a frequency response down into the 20s, these
are truly an amazing value for the money as they are available as a kit for
considerably less.

The Dodd Audio 50-watt amplifiers ($1650 a
pair) which were used to drive the GR towers. Again great value for the money.

The Ayden room with some of the WAY cooler looking amplifiers, the KR Audio
Kronzillas.

Another table (Teres) making real music.

Also in the Ayden room was the new Artemis Labs' LA-1 tube preamp next to their phono preamplifier.
Both looked
really cool and are rumored to be inexpensive. Meaning real people
can buy real cool stuff!

Ayden used the Green Mountain Continuum 3 speakers to get the music out into
the room. Sounding as good as in the Audio Magic/Green Mountain room, maybe
it's the speakers! Nah... has to be the tubes!

Listen Up was all about Classe and B&W, with a bit of Rotel thrown in for
flavor. Sounded like B&W driven by Classe.

The serious side of Bert Doppenberg of BD Designs. I will admit that the
first day of the show this room was not to my taste, but by Sunday he had
it really hitting on all cylinders! The first day, Bert was using the Sophia
integrated and well, it just didn't have the magic. Bert got the music off
his laptop through a TwinDACPlus. Way cool!

The laptop sitting on the TwinDACPlus.

A Sophia integrated used to drive the DB Oris speakers.
Not the best match musically.

On Sunday the little Serious Stereo 1-watt monoblock amplifiers from Dennis Fraker were in
use ($11k the pair, and that is for the best 1-watt you will ever need, if you got
the right speakers) and they sounded really, really good. Very musical!

The Serious Stereo 1-watt amplifier. Not much
to look at, but a lot to listen to! These amplifiers were getting a lot of
exposure throughout the show (Cain & Cain room among others) and had
generated a bit of a stir. Very expensive, but what music.

Dennis Fraker himself.

The AER driver in the Oris "head-unit" with a bronze phase plug.

DB's
custom made 15" bass driver used in the bass unit.

An effective AC block in the DB room, gee what else does Bert make?

Bert relaxing to the music. "I have made too
many things! Besides, it is Sunday and now it finally is sounding good!"

Red Rock showed with ESP Concert Grand speakers and their new Red Rock Renaissance statement
amplifiers. Looking similar to Blue Circle amps or the Hagerman Trumpet on
steroids, they were pretty.

The
Renaissance Amplifier is a push pull design with two voltage gain
stages driving the modern Russian (Svetlana) 572 directly heated triode
audio output tubes, at approximately 50 watts
per channel. This was one of the few times I actually liked the ESP
Speakers, so maybe they are on to something here. Unfortunately these amps
are not for the thin-of-wallet and will cost you around $15k for the pair.